Three things about poverty

September 17, 2013

Five years ago I went on a wonderful adventure with Compassion International . I went on a trip to see how Compassion, through their child sponsorship program, is improving the lives of poverty-stricken children in the Dominican Republic. John and I had been Compassion supporters for years before that, but I came home from the Dominican Republic even more convinced that the work Compassion is doing around the world is making a huge difference in the lives of children, both now and eternally. September is Blog Month at Compassion– an opportunity for bloggers to let more people know about Compassion’s work.

Why do I hope that you’ll partner with Compassion and sponsor a child? Because poverty is a thief. A thief that steals some really important things from children.

Poverty takes away a parent’s ability to make as good choices for their children. All parents want to feed their children well, and provide them with clothing and the opportunity to learn. Can you imagine how much your heart would hurt if you couldn’t feed or clothe or educate your child? Parents in poverty cannot give their children even these basics things. Compassion comes alongside those hurting mommas and dads and helps provide those basics for their children.

Poverty steals years. Parents who can barely feed their kids aren’t going to be able to afford medicine for their kids, let alone buy it for themselves when they need it. Too often parents struggle with treatable illnesses, and die at ridiculously young ages, and children are left parentless. Sure, adoption is one way to care for orphans, but an even better plan is to support the family– to keep parents alive so kids don’t become orphans in the first place.

Poverty makes people question their own worth, their value on this earth. Does anyone really care? Here’s a place where child sponsorship really shines. By writing letters to our sponsored kids month after month, year after year, we can speak truth into their lives. It may be from afar. It may be only in letters. But we can be the hands and feet of Jesus in their live, telling these kids that they are precious and dearly loved by God. We can remind them that He has a good plan for their lives.

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What a great reminder, Mary. Thank you. I’ll also say that _Christianity Today_ ran an article earlier this year about sponsorship as the #1 most helpful tool in eradicating the lasting effects of poverty in the lives of children. I think in an era where people are scrutinizing the effectiveness of their giving habits, sponsorship (specifically via Compassion) is un-impeachable.

While my husband and I were in ET a couple of years ago, I had a conversation with a young Ethiopian lady who was around 21 years old. I started asking her about her family and she said that she and her brother were orphaned when she was 12 and he was 8. I asked how they survived on their own and she said, “Have you ever heard of Compassion International…” I got teary-eyed, seeing first-hand just how amazing Compassion is. Compassion made sure that they had a home to live in, got them in school, gave them food, and made sure that their neighbors were checking in on them. What an amazing organization! I’ve been a sponsor through them since I was 18 years old, and will give them the highest recommendation to anyone who is looking for a way to give.